


I Stand in Awe

by Amuly



Category: The Borgias (2011)
Genre: M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-13
Updated: 2012-06-13
Packaged: 2017-11-07 16:17:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amuly/pseuds/Amuly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A shared moment between Micheletto and Cesare before the final events of 2x09 (obviously, massive spoilers for the episode). Written for tea-with-theo, because she made me some sweet gifs from 2x08 on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Stand in Awe

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [肃然起敬](https://archiveofourown.org/works/474423) by [styx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/styx/pseuds/styx)



 

  


“What is it that he has done?”

Micheletto kept his eyes fixed over Cesare's shoulder, eyelids not even flickering as he said smoothly: “Must I remind your eminence of all his brother's past transgressions?”

But Cesare wasn't about to be fooled, or led astray. He reached out and touched his fingertips to Micheletto's elbow, drawing him just a breath closer. Not close enough to seem out of the ordinary, not nearly close enough. But the rumors had already started – Micheletto had heard them, whispers coming up to nip at his heels during the darkest part of the night, and he knew what they said, what those whispers thought they knew about him and the Borgia eldest. He wasn't sure if Cesare had found out yet, if the whispers had ventured out into daylight and caught Cesare's attention, but best to keep any talk as unfounded as it could be. Especially when it was for the most part true.

“Micheletto,” Cesare whispered, eyes darting across Micheletto's face. Micheletto saw them, though he did not yet glance at his master. “What has my brother done?”

“Went after one of the girls.” The words jerked out of Micheletto: unwanted but pulled from him by Cesare's tone. “I took care of it.”

His eyes flickered to Cesare's just for a moment, thinking himself done. But oh, no. That had been a mistake. Cesare was looking at him, looking _into_ him, and in one second of eye contact Micheletto saw Cesare's expression harden, unconvinced. His fingers wrapped more securely around Micheletto's elbow, drawing him in closer. Micheletto didn't try to pull back, even though there were people around, it was still early in the night, too many were going to see, _were seeing_ them, right now, all around. 

“I don't appreciate you keeping secrets from me, Micheletto.”

“It was my understand that you kept me for exactly that,” Micheletto replied. After a beat he added: “Your eminence.”

“He did something to you.” Cesare's voice was a low growl.

Micheletto snorted. “In his current state, it's a wonder he was able to do anything to the hapless girl he stumbled across. He would not be able to do a single unwanted thing to me.”

“Said something, then.”

Micheletto kept secrets. It was what he did. His own and other's. But here, with Cesare so close to him, breathing his same air, heating his skin where they touched, Micheletto felt the words stick in his throat.

Cesare's words were measured as he gritted them out. “What did he say?”

“Idle threats.”

“Against my life?”

Micheletto grinned: a quick, cruel thing. “He would not still walk to his rendezvous tonight had he.”

“Against Lucrezia's? Or her child's?”

Micheletto's reply was quick: “My answer remains the same.”

Two steps backwards and Cesare was leading them into a side street, little more than a sewage run-off for the houses around them. Cesare's eyes glittered in the faint torchlight as he looked into Micheletto's. “Against yours?”

“As I said: idle,” Micheletto calmly pointed out.

Another growl rose in Cesare's throat, stopped only because he surged forward, pressing his lips sharply against Micheletto's. It was a fierce, burning point of contact, one Micheletto welcomed every time he was graced with it. His body went limp beneath Cesare's, not wanting to take more than he was given. 

After just a moment Cesare drew back, breath coming in angry pants. “This impudence will not stand.”

Micheletto knew what Cesare meant to do, knew what he wanted to do more than ever after the past few days. But he wasn't sure if he'd be able to. So Micheletto did what he was good at: offered himself in place of the more noble. “When would you like me-”

“Not you. Me.” Cesare looked into Micheletto's eyes, hand running through his hair as if to press the seriousness of his intent into Micheletto's skull. But Micheletto knew. He understood far to well what Cesare meant, the place his soul resided in that very moment. “Tonight,” Cesare continued. “Tonight, and it will be me.”

“Go to the Pons Aelius tonight. I will bring him.”

Cesare nodded, already moving back from Micheletto. He didn't allow himself to feel the absence of contact as a loss. It was early evening, they were in public, and he was unworthy of asking for more, of even  _wanting_ more from Cesare. And Micheletto was familiar with how tonight would go. Cesare might go through with his intentions, he might not. Either way he would be seeking base comfort tonight. Later, after they had covered their tracks, Cesare would come to him, and use him. He would be angry, he would be fierce, he would be wild. It would be painful. But Micheletto would let it happen, would offer Cesare what meagre comfort his body could give. 

Later that night, but not much later, Micheletto studied Cesare's eyes in the dim moonlight reflected off the water under the bridge as he moved against his brother. The emotions therein were complicated, a mixture of a hundred things: anger, regret, love, hate, disappointment, despair. But there was only one thing in Micheletto's heart as he moved forward to help his master dispose of the body.

“ _I stand in awe.”_

 

_  
_

**Author's Note:**

> No clue what the actual bridge was. If someone knows, feel free to correct me?


End file.
